Energy Saving Tips from 4
Back to 4Viewers BlogWe are all aware that the cost of living crisis is a big concern for everyone at the moment so we’ve put together, in conjunction with our partners, 5 money saving tips that should help to trim those utility bills over the coming year.
1. Check Your Thermostat
a. Turning the thermostat down by a degree could save you around £150. The lowest comfortable temperature for most people is between 18°C and 21°C. Though if you’ve elderly or disabled people in the house a higher setting may be recommended – for more information see the Department of Health site. Department of Health
b. Always remember that your thermostat records the temperature where it is so you may need to turn it up or down to ensure a comfortable temperature in your main living area. A portable thermostat can be helpful to keep an eye on your settings.
c. Set your timer so your heating is off when you are out. Reducing your heating by 5 hours per week could save you around £15 per year. (Source: CAR/Nesta)
2. Check Your Boiler
a. If you’ve got a combi boiler (without a hot water tank) ensuring the flow temperature is no more than 60°C could save you around £100. For more information, check out Nesta’s Money Saving Boiler Challenge tool to show you how to do it. (Source: CAR/Nesta)
b. If you’ve got a system boiler (with a hot water tank), try reducing your flow temperature to 65°C. It’s important that you don’t go below this temperature though as this could increase the risk of legionella bacteria growing in the tank, which is dangerous. (Source: EST)
c. See this blog from Energy Saving Trust for more information to help you decide if changing the boiler flow setting is right for you.
d. If you’re in a rental property you might need to check with your landlord before making any changes.
3. Check Your Shower
Make sure you’ve got a water efficient showerhead and try to keep your shower under 4 minutes. This could save around £90 a year. If you’ve already got an electric shower though this will already have an efficient flow and if you’ve got a bath don’t overfill it!
4. Check Your Radiators
Turning down radiator valves in less-used rooms could save you around £70 (Source: CAR/Nesta)
a. If you have numbered radiator valves, normally with settings from 1 to 5 or 6 turning the dial down to the midpoint should in most cases heat the room to the recommended 18-21C.
b. Already done that? Maximise the benefit by closing room doors – keeping the heat in the rooms you want warm, and the cooler air in those less used.
5. Check Your Windows And Doors For drafts
Draft proofing your windows, doors, chimneys and floors could save you up to £215 in a typical three-bed gas heated, semi-detached house.
a. Adding draft proofing strips around your windows could save £50. (approx. £1.50 p/m)
b. Draft proofing external doors and adding a brush at the bottom along with a letterbox cover could save you £10. (approx. £35 for materials)
c. Seal any gaps between suspended floorboards and skirting boards with sealant (or similar product) and you could save £65. (approx. £18 for sealant and gun)
d. If you’ve got a chimney, a draft excluder could save £90. (approx. £20)
e. But don’t forget it is important to have ventilation, particularly in kitchens and bathrooms, so don’t block extractor fans, wall vents, airbricks or trickle vents
Facts and Figures
All figures are based on a typical gas-heated home in Great Britain with an annual usage of around 12,000 kWh of gas and 2,900 kWh of electricity, using a gas price of 10.3p/kWh and electricity price of 34.0p/kWh (based on Energy Price Guarantee October 2022).
For More Information
See the government’s energy performance certificate websites for England, Wales and Northern Ireland and Scotland to get more tailored energy improvement information for your property.
Help And Support
We also list a range of help and support organisations on our website here: www.channel4.com/support
For help with your bills or for other energy saving tips see the Government website: https://www.gov.uk/ and specifically https://helpforhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk/
Other Helpful Websites (and sources for the above)
NESTA: https://www.nesta.org.uk/
Citizen's Advice: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/
Energy Savings Tust: https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/
And finally, not only will the above tips help save you money on your bills, but they help to lower your carbon emissions too.